Emron One Shots
by postlux
Summary: Emron moments, comprised of different episodes & some not in any episodes. No consecutive timeline.
1. Banker's Hours

"Banker's hours?" Emily asked, climbing onto the seat next to Aaron.

"Well, it's business." He replied, his gaze focused steadily on her.

Emily smirked in response, "Does that mean you're buying?"

She set her bag by her feet and gestured to the bartender for the same drink.

While Emily was busy grabbing the drink from the bartender Aaron gave himself a minute to admire her. Just a minute. If he gave himself any longer than this meeting would go from business to pleasure.

Emily's skin flushed with heat at feeling Aaron's eyes on her. She knew combining business and alcohol wouldn't help, but then again, being alone with Aaron required liquid courage. Now that her and her boyfriend were split up there was officially nothing stopping them, and by God if she didn't want him.

Feeling the scotch make a slow burn down her throat she finally dragged her gaze up to meet his, a twinkle making its appearance.

"So," Aaron said, breaking the moment, "your first congressional vote as Chief of Staff." 

"Hm," She replied, taking a sip.

Aaron about laughed at her, seeing the stress that he once wore, "I left a bottle in my desk. I assumed you found it."

Emily couldn't help but let a stressful smile slip through, "Aaron, I'm working on my first congressional vote. That bottle is long gone."

"Well, I can see why you asked me for a drink then." He laughed.

Emily took another sip and rolled her eyes, "I did not ask you for a drink I asked you for a meeting."

"Meeting. Right." He drank what was left in his glass, setting it on the ledge for a refill.

Emily's gaze never wavered from his actions. If this is how he wanted to play it, then she would too. She threw back the rest of her drink and waited for her refill as well.

"So, tell me, can we count on Hookstraten's vote?"

"Come on Emily, you know I can't say." He smirked.

"Can't or won't?" She quipped back.

Aaron was taken aback for a moment. He knew Emily was quick on her feet. Hell, that was what attracted him to her so much, but her wit never failed to amaze him. He let his sight linger on hers for a moment. Their connection was only broken when the bartender placed the refilled glasses in front of them.

"How about I tell you the vote if you tell me one of those Dewey Beach stories?"

Aaron was lit up. Emily knew that he wanted to hear those stories, she also knew that more alcohol would lead to them… and most likely something else. She wasn't fully sure where Aaron's feelings were, but she did know that their attraction never faded. It was so clear in the way he looked at her, the electricity was practically palpable.

Emily pretended to think it over, taking a sip to create anticipation. Aaron's proposal quickly shifted any possibility of only work happening tonight. The way he phrased the question, full of desire, and the way he was currently admiring her, like he couldn't get enough, was more than enough to shift their night.

Her gaze shifted from her right to Aaron on her left, a slight smirk on her mouth, "Okay."

Aaron's lips tilted up in response. The alcohol was beginning to create a sweet haze over his thoughts.

2 hours later,

Time pasted in a flash. Before Aaron or Emily knew it they were both tipsy, drink after drink being thrown back. Emily gave up her secrets and soon Aaron knew every little detail from her nineteen-year-old summer. Everything from skinny dipping in broad daylight to her first time. Her first time only making Aaron's gaze darken and her fingers itch to touch him. She knew what she was getting into when shop talk left the table and her secrets came out, but she also knew that at some point the tension between them would snap. It might as well be tonight.

Aaron let out a low laugh while Emily finished her story, "And then suddenly the rest of the house walked in on us and let's just say I was terrified to touch anyone again for a long time."

His gaze kept switching from her eyes to her lips as he leaned in involuntarily. He felt Emily do the same. Not a moment passing between them, both of them frozen in time.

"A long time, huh? How about tonight?" He whispered, his breath falling against her lips.

Emily felt her heart stutter and her eyes close. She lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek, his stubble rough against her palm. Her thoughts were short circuiting, all rational thinking missing.

Instead of answering him with words she closed the rest of the gap between them, her lips folding against his.

Aaron smirked against her, lips gently opening her own in order to run his tongue softly on her own. He softly pushed her hand off his face in order to grab her own. Her jaw was quickly outlined by his fingers, making his face lean in even closer.

As Emily felt him shift, their kiss getting heavier and their breath coming out harder, she knew it was time to take this business meeting home. She pulled away a bit suddenly, her anticipation getting the best of her. She realized she startled Aaron a bit, so she leaned back down to press a soft peck against his heated lips.

"We should get out of here." She insinuated as she grabbed for her bag and got off the stool, furthering her point.

Aaron smirked as he realized her intent. He threw down a forty on the counter and put his hand on her lower back, steering them out of the bar. The last thing Emily saw before stepping into the cold air was Aarons gaze filled with promise. The night was young, and they were officially off the clock.


	2. I like that word, 'together'

10:02am in the West Wing,

"You brought Emily coffee? You never bring me coffee?" Seth asked Aaron.

They were speeding through the west wing, attempting to do damage control in time with the wiki-leaks dumps.

Aaron smirked in response, "Do some actual damage control and next time maybe I'll bring you some."

Seth rolled his eyes, "Come on man, what's going on with you guys anyways?"

Aaron's feet stopped at his words. He looked around before pulling Seth around the corner. The hallway was empty, and Aaron's intentions were becoming clear. Aaron just looked at him for a beat, his words catching in his throat.

"Look, I'm not blind. I see the way you two look at each other. You asked her out yet or what?" Seth responded, seeing the despondent look on his face.

"We had dinner. Once. It's not like either of us have much free time." He finally said, struggling to craft an appropriate response.

Seth just rolled his eyes again, not believing a word out of his mouth, "Dude, you're chief of staff. _Make_ it happen."

With that Seth slapped his folder to Aarons chest, smirking as he walked off.

Aaron just stared back in response, not sure why that thought hadn't occurred himself before now. Aaron's lips tilted up in response. An idea was beginning to form, he knew exactly how he was going to make time.

9:56pm in the West Wing,

Emily quite literally ran into Aaron on her way back from Seth's office. Her hands came up in response to hitting the hard plains of his chest. She felt Aaron's hands grip her arms in response, steading her. Their eyes locked, neither of them rushing to pull away.

"Emily, I was just looking for you." It was Aaron who the broke the moment, taking a step back before anyone could walk in on them.

"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was walking. I just assumed everyone was gone by now." She replied, taking a small step back herself.

"I'm Chief of Staff, you really thought I wouldn't be here?" He laughed, his eyes crinkling around the edges from his smile.

Emily rolled her eyes, "I meant everyone besides us."

Of course, she knew Aaron was still there. She tended to be very aware whenever he was around.

"You finished for today?" He asked, suddenly out of nowhere.

To Emily the question seemed out of place but to Aaron the question had just escaped him. He was dying to know if she was free. His plan in mind was for her after all.

"I just need to put these away," She gestured towards the folders she was carrying, "and then I'm done."

Emily smiled up at Aaron, the stress of the day beginning to fade. It was moments like this, moments where the West Wing was quiet, and she got Aaron's undivided attention that made her day so much better.

"Good. You're not in a hurry to head home, are you? I wanted to show you something."

Her brow quirked at his question, making ones of her own run through her mind. "Not at all." Was her response. Her steady gaze never wavered from his own, a moment passing between them.

Instead of replying Aaron just smiled back at her. He grabbed the files from her hand and headed towards his office, Emily following in tow.

She had no idea what was going on. She was pretty sure that whatever was about to happen had nothing to do with business though. It wasn't often that Aaron Shore went out of his way but when he did she found that it was most likely for her. Her heart warmed at the thought. Lately more and more she had been seeing Aaron's soft side and it only made her fall a bit harder for him.

"Aaron, if this is about the Hazelton thing I already spoke to Kirkman. I even withdrew my resignation per his request—"

Aaron interrupted her, pulling her directly in front of his door. He stepped to the side, one hand on the doorknob and the other gently grabbing her own as if he was scared she would pull away.

"It's not about Hazelton. This is about you… for you." He said.

The air of mystery juxtaposed the look in his eyes only made Emily's heart beat faster. She had no idea what was about to show her, but she had a feeling it had been in the planning for a while.

"Open the door," She whispered as her grip on his hand tightened.

She could feel Aarons gaze on her, making her skin burn hot as he twisted the knob and the door opened. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the conference table. The end was full of candles, creating a glow around the food and wine set up for two. It didn't take long for Emily to notice that instead of some fancy three course meal it was Chinese that was laid out on the china. She also quickly noticed that the wine was her favorite, pinot noir.

Her gaze quickly flipped back to Aaron, an unconscious smile taking over her face, "—Aaron, wow."

His smile reached his eyes. He couldn't help but notice the way the candles were reflected on her face or the happiness that seemed to radiate off her. His chest expanded. He was glad that he not only managed to pull this off but that he made her happy as well. He did have a brief worry that this was going to blow up in his face.

"Dinner?" He asked.

Emily smiled up at once more before walking in. She let Aaron help her into her chair before taking a sip of her wine as he sat down across from her.

"This is amazing… so amazing Aaron, Thank you." Her heart felt like it was running a marathon. She wasn't an idiot, she realized that this was a date. The perfect date.

"You know, Seth said something earlier that got me thinking." He answered, his fingers twisting around his glass.

"Yeah?" Emily asked, hanging onto his every word.

"He asked me why I hadn't taken you on a date yet."

"Oh." Was all she could get out. Honestly, she had wondered the same thing.

"I blamed it on our jobs, that we see more of the West Wing than we do anywhere else… but he made he made me realize that, well, I'm the Chief of Staff and you're Special Advisor. Together we can make anything happen."

If Emily thought she had it bad for Aaron Shore before it wouldn't even hold a handle to her feelings for him in this moment. His words had pierced straight to her heart. She felt like her veins were on fire by how hard her heart was working.

Her brain was working overtime to come up with a good response. No words seemed good enough to match his own.

"I like that word, 'together.'" She finally settled on her, her nerves buzzing.

Aaron's smiled lit up the room, his heart rate matching her own. He let his gaze settle on hers for a moment before he reached across to grab chopsticks from the middle of the table. He handed Emily a pair and they both began to dig into their meal, smiles bright and hopes high. Maybe their demanding jobs didn't mean that they couldn't have each other after all.


	3. I'm always on your team

Midday in the west wing,

"…and Denise is your person for all things Cabinet, don't forget." Aaron said, grabbing his briefcase and heading for the door.

Emily couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Aaron was on forced leave. She couldn't believe that she was taking over his job, and doing it all from his office. And most importantly, she couldn't believe that everything that had happened between them, the investigation, their fight, and him leaking the information, had landed them at this point. How was she going to do this? How was she going to do Aaron's job? But most importantly, how was she going to get through every single day without him?

"Aaron… " She quickly muttered, her gaze heavy.

Aaron just stared back at her. It felt as if they were communicating everything and yet nothing all at once.

"…good luck." He settled on, heading out of his office.

Emily just stared after him. There was so much that she wanted, no needed, to say to him. Right as she went to go after him his deputy's walked in. It looked like the time for talking wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Evening in Aarons apartment,

It had only been six hours since the President sent him home. Six hours since his fuck up came to light. Six hours since his punishment began. The president put him on a week's leave but in reality, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be welcomed back. As Chief of Staff you don't get to mess up. There is no such thing as a margin for error.

Aaron took the final sip in his glass. He had been slowly working through his bottle of brandy since he got home. I mean, it's not like he had to be up for work tomorrow morning or anything. His fingers ran sideways across his lips. He couldn't stop thinking about what an idiot he was. How could he have possibly thought that Hookstraten could be trusted? He was pressured, shoved in a corner, and he folded like a deck of cards in the wind. He was a joke. He wasn't qualified for his position, that much was obvious.

Right as he went to refill his glass his doorbell rang. His guess being that the secret service was coming to take away his clearance. It wouldn't surprise him. He set the bottle back down on the side table and pushed himself up. He quickly ran his hands over his eyes, trying to bring a bit more consciousness.

He quickly peered through the peephole, preparing himself for his job to be taken away. Instead what he saw surprised him. It was Emily Rhodes. She was standing outside in the chilly air, a bit of a shiver on her.

Aaron knew he should open the door, he knew that he should let her in. Instead he was having a hard time making his hand move. He watched her for just a minute longer, noticing that gaze wouldn't leave her feet. He watched her shoved her hands in her pockets before he moved into action.

He finally got his hand to move, cradling the door knob and pulling it open, "Emily."

And that seemed to be where everything stopped working again. Being face to face with her, the unsaid feelings still resting heavily between them, only made the pain in his heart give a resounding pang.

"Aaron," She said simply, eyeing his apartment behind him, "Can I come in?"

He stumbled back, part from the alcohol and part from the fact that his body was not responding to anything his brain was telling it to do. He opened the door wider and muttered a quick, "Yeah, sure." Emily quickly walked past him, a cold breeze and the scent of vanilla wafting after her. As he the shut the door he turned to towards her, noticing her rubbing her hands together for warmth.

Emily rubbed her hands together for the millionth time, her nervous habit getting the best of her. She knew she was about to approach a conversation that was not only long overdue but a conversation that she was dreading to have. Talking about her emotions was hard but throw in her feelings for Aaron and it got even worse. But, she also knew when it was time to be forthcoming and that time was now.

"How are you?" She finally asked, attempting to break the ice.

"Well, I've been better." He quietly said, a bit of regret leaking into his words.

"Aaron, I'm so sorry." She didn't know where to start but she figured an apology was the best beginning.

"For what? You didn't do anything." He threw himself into his chair, his eyes wandering back to his empty glass.

Emily quickly folded herself onto the couch next to him. Her eyes followed his to the nearly empty bottle, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you."

Well, that sure as hell got his attention. Aaron's gaze snapped back to her. His desire for the rest of his alcohol quickly fading, "What?" He asked, unsure if he had even heard her right.

"I should have done more. I wasn't there for you and for that I'm sorry. With the investigation and everything that happened I felt like I couldn't be. Honestly, I felt like you didn't want me to be." She rushed out. She figured that if she got it out all at once it would be easier. She was wrong, but nonetheless it was finally said.

Aaron's gaze was lit up, "Emily… none of that was your fault."

"Maybe," said replied somberly, "but I could have done more, communicated better. And that is completely on me."

His head just shook at her explanation. She wasn't getting it. "No, it's just as much my own fault. I tend to bury my burdens." His gaze fell down to his lap.

Emily reached her hand across and grabbed his. Her fingers giving a gentle squeeze.

"I don't want you to feel like you can't share any of them with me. We're a team remember?" She said softly, echoing his once muttered side comment. The words coming straight from her heart just as she was sure his had as well.

"You sure you want to be on a team with me? In case you haven't heard I'm not highly favored right now."

Emily put her other hand on his as well, his hand now sandwiched between her two. He eyes were unwilling to leave his, attempting to convey her convictions.

"Aaron, I will always be on your team."

Aaron didn't even hesitate before reaching over and landing his lips on her own. He pushed himself onto his knees. At this level, Emily on the couch and Aaron bent down, they were at the same height. He used the opportunity to his advantage. His hands cradled her jaw while he poured everything he had into the kiss. All the hurt from the investigation, all the confusion from their hot and cold relationship, and mostly, all of his pent-up longing.

Emily's response but firm and sure. Up until now she wasn't sure if they even had a relationship. She wasn't sure if he was going to get his job back. Frankly, she wasn't sure if he would even want her after all she had been forced to put him through. But this, this kiss, was more than enough for her. This kiss was an answer, and one she wasn't going to hesitate on.

Aaron gently pulled away. Their breaths softly pushing and pulling between them as he leaned his forehead against hers. Both of their eyes were still closed as he gently said, "I'm always on your team too."


	4. I don't know what I'd do without you

Rereading the same sentence for the fifth time Emily finally gave up. With a huff of frustration, she threw her pen down. It only took a quick glance at the clock to realize that only five minutes had passed. Her eyes began to water, again, as she ran her hand through her hair, tugging a bit to feel some type of relief.

Aaron Shore was still gone. As far as Emily knew everyone was safe and on a plane home. What she didn't know what _when_ he'd be home. Over the last two hours she watched the west wing slowly empty out, her glass of brandy refill three times, and none of her work get done. It wasn't enough to have the knowledge that he was safe, she needed to see it.

Her palms were sweating, her stomach was empty, having thrown up anything she tried to eat today, and her brain was a frazzled mess. She had asked secret service to inform her the very second Aaron was back. All she had to do was wait for the short, ' _beep beep,'_ from her phone and everything would be better. At this point, 'better' was starting to feel more like a fantasy than a reality.

Emily pushed her paperwork away, there was no use in even trying to get it done. She had long passed that point, she was just too stubborn to admit defeat until now. Her bottom lip was captured in worry as she watched time continue to pass. One hour to two, two to three, after three she stopped counting.

It wasn't until two more glasses of brandy and her lip slightly bleeding that her phone finally went off. Emily didn't even attempt to read the message. Instead, her feet took off and before her brain could catch up she was running through the empty halls of the west wing.

The carpet was soft beneath her bare feet as her legs worked as fast as possible, carrying her to the only person occupying her thoughts. Right as she came to Aaron's office her steps came to sudden halt. She could feel her lungs working overtime while her hand, shakily, pushed open the slightly cracked door.

Her eyes fixed on him immediately. He was clearly disheveled, his shirt half way untucked and wrinkled, his hair reverted back to natural curls. He was faced away from her, looking out the window behind his desk. Emily's mouth started to open, started to call his name only for nothing to come out. Just as she was beginning to find her voice, Aaron heard the door creak. He turned, finding her agape.

"Emily," He said, voice raspy and dry.

She couldn't move. No matter how much her brain was screaming at her legs to move, they wouldn't. She was completely statute, frozen in time. Her thoughts kept short-circuiting, the only one to completely go through was that Aaron was finally here, safe, and standing in front of her.

"Em," He tried again, her name filled with relief.

That was the trigger. She bolted across the room. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down to her. All of her movements catching Aaron by surprise. Before he even had time to return her embrace he heard her muttering, "You're here," over and over again.

Aaron's arms had never felt so good. Not when he touched her for the first time and not even when they shared their first embrace. Nothing could ever compare to this moment. She didn't realize what an idiot she had been up until today. It took Aarons life being in danger for her to realize how much he meant to her. How could she have been so stupid? Dating Seth to fill the void… God, she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to forgive herself, let alone if he would ever forgive her.

Aaron pulled away and began wiping her tears before she noticed that the dam had broken and was flooding full force.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the one crying, not you." He joked, the slightest tilt of a smirk on his lips.

Which, of course, only made her cry harder. A soft hiccup coming out as well.

At the sound of her resolute his smirk turned into a full-on smile. Emily felt him gently pull her back into him, her face tucked nicely into his neck. He smelled like dirt, sweat, and a bit of cologne, but mostly, he smelled like home. Emily's hands tightened around him, one in his hair and the other in his shirt. At this moment the only thing holding her together was the feeling of him against her.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there. Eventually her fingers loosened, her tears dried up, and her worries eased, "Aaron… "

"Hey, hey… it's okay. I'm fine, everyone's safe." He said, their bodies still close that his breath was warm against her cheek.

"No, Aaron. It isn't okay. I thought—" Her voice began to crack, "—I thought that I lost you. I thought that I'd never see you again."

Aaron's gaze was so intense that she couldn't hold it. As he watched her all Emily could do was stare at their feet. His rough hands traveled down her arms, grabbing her own. She felt his hands give hers a gentle squeeze, his thumb running circles on her soft skin.

"But you didn't. I'm here, everything is okay." He finally answered, his voice unsteady.

Emily had the briefest suspicion that at some point he had thought he wouldn't be back, that everything wouldn't have worked out. Her eyes closed at the notion. After all her nerves had been through today she couldn't waste any more time on 'what ifs'.

"I can't lose you," she admitted softly, "I don't know what I would do without you."

Aaron disconnected one hand from hers. He reached up and cradled her chin, "You won't, I promise."

Emily couldn't take it any longer. She breached the short distance and softly connected their lips. By _God_ , if she hadn't wanted this. She felt Aaron pull her closer, their kiss intensifying. It felt as if they were reacquainting themselves. After everything that happened they had finally found their way back to each other.

It was Aaron who pulled away first, giving some excuse about a shower and In n' Out. All she could do was smile at him. Everything was beginning to settle down and for the first time all day her stomach wasn't full of anxiety and her brain wasn't full of worry. Her lips placed a final kiss against his chapped ones, pulling away to grab his hand.

"Let's go." She said while leading the way to the door.

Today was the greatest challenge she had ever faced. What Emily was quickly learning was that the biggest challenges in life often yield the greatest results. Her and Aaron were living proof of that.


	5. UPDATE

I'm done writing, just thought you all should know.


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